This past Friday I had the first of my two knee surgeries, starting with my right knee. I tried roller derby a few years ago, in summer of 2013. I watched for a couple of practices and then tied on some borrowed skates and gave it a try. Gravity was not my friend, and all I did was fall down for about half a practice, banging my knees hard every time. I am not a good faller, there was no landing on my butt as directed. I am not coordinated enough to aim my falls.

So, I never really got my knees checked out. I thought they were just bruised. I actually only thought I’d really hurt one of them. I would get flareups from time to time, when the weather changed or it got especially cold. My general practitioner thought it was probably mild arthritis.

Then this past January, right before a big blizzard here, my right knee just exploded. So much pain, and after 2 weeks the episode didn’t go away like it usually did. So I found an orthopedic surgeon who ordered an MRI. It turned out that I’d torn the cartilage in my right knee, and I would need surgery.

Then at another office visit, during an exam he thought I damaged my left knee, too. I thought that one got stiff sometimes because I was putting more weight on it to favor my sore right knee. I still need to get an MRI for that knee, but the ortho thinks I’ll probably need surgery for that one as well.

When the surgeon got in there on Friday for the arthroscopy to clean up my right knee, he found some bone damage, too. Cartilage was moved around. A recovery that was originally supposed to be a week or so is now looking like a month.

I’ve been mostly horizontal since Friday. I’m getting better on my crutches, but I’m only supposed to be partial weight bearing on my right leg at least until my follow up appointment on Monday. This is so much juggling. I was originally supposed to be able to put weight on that leg as soon as I was comfortable. Now getting up and down the stairs is a herculean challenge. Childcare is getting rearranged, I’m not driving yet, I feel off my game.

But the family has been amazing. Adam’s been packing me a cooler with cold drinks and snacks to keep me going. H has been keeping me company off and on, she’s a little nervous around my crutches and her new, less mobile mommy. But she’s getting lots of time at Nana’s house, which is basically DisneyWorld as far as she’s concerned.

And, I’ve started knitting again! I’m working my way through the first season of Outlander while I reacquaint myself with my knitting needles. I can’t use my sewing machine right now, but I need to keep my hands busy.

And the best of all news is that, hopefully, when all of these surgeries and recoveries are over, I won’t be dealing with the chronic knee pain I’ve had for 2.5 years. It’s been derailing my attempts at getting fit, my ability to chase after H, all the things. That will be the best, if I get that mobility back. And I will not take it for granted again.